Supreme Court Gives Environmentalists Partial Water Law Win (3)

The U.S. Supreme Court gave environmentalists a partial win on the scope of the Clean Water Act, ruling that the law applies to some pollution discharges that don’t go directly into a major body of water.

The 6-3 decision Thursday told a federal appeals court to reconsider its conclusion that a Hawaii water-treatment facility violated the law with wastewater discharges that travel underground a half mile to the Pacific Ocean. But the high court majority set a standard that will give environmental advocates another chance to win the case, as well as other suits claiming illegal water pollution.

The ruling ...